Air-motor or windmill.



Patented Nov. 15,1910.

2 sums-snarl.

wffiamyasu -0. 3. SILL. AIR MOTOR ORv WINDMILL. APPLICATION FILED TEB.5, 1910 Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

UNITED STATES. PATENT onnrori.

o'rrn E. SILL, or LOS-ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

' nrnlmo'ron on'wINmvrILL.

Specification of Letters IZatent Patented NOV. 15, 1910.

Application-filed February 5, 1910. Serial No. 542,321.

To all'whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, OTTE E. SILL, a citizen, of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Air-Motors or Windmills, of which the following is 'a "specification.

This invention relates to air. motors or windmills; andit has for its object to provide improvements relating to the organization of Windmills, the utilization and/employment of which will be attended by superiority in point of durability, efiiciency posjtiveness of operation and convenience in control, and which will be generally su-' per] or in point of serviceability and adaptability to varying conditions of use and service. v

.With the above and the invention consists'in the novel provision, construction, combination and relative arrangement-of parts, members and features,

,allias hereinafter described shown in the drawings, and finally pointed out in claims. In the drawings ZQKF igure -1 is-a side elevation of the. operative portionslof-an. air

ness of illustration;=Fig. 21is a fragmentary;

transverse vertical. sectional view,

'motor or windmill organized according to the invention, the same being shownlpartly broken away and partly in section for clearvertical transversesectional viewiof the same,

taken'u'pon the line .2 -2, Fig. l,- and looking in the direction .ofthe appended-arrows; the

arged scale; Fig. is a top planvlew of the construction show-n same being upon an en in ,Fig. 1'; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged takenupon the linear-4, Fig. 1, and looking in the di' rection of the ppended arrows;--and, Fig.

5 ;is a .fragmentaryverticaltransverse sec-1 tiona'l View, takenmpon. the .line 5&5, Fig.

3, and looking in the direction of the appended arrows.

. )orresponding parts in all the figures are denoted :by the same reference characters? Referring w'ith (particularity to the drawings, the 0 so comprisesyin the main,

windmill shown therein I a" plurality of vanes hichare jointly movably mountlmprove or sails A ed' upon a carrier 13, the carrier acting torigwcr shaft CLthrou'gh power trans-y drive a mission extending from the sphere of'action-of the vanes, at the upper portionlof a frame or tower E to the power shaft Clwhichi is conveniently located. at the lower portion.

. ju'stably connecte of the tower and .mounted in the base (Z thereof. The vanes A are loosely mounted upon the carrier 13.; and connection means a and b extendbetween the vanes and the carrier, acting to sustain the vanes in operative positions of projection'from the carmen The carrier works through two par-- allel paths or planes of movement, which are arranged one above the other and preferably horizontal in extent; and the vanes therefore alternately traverse upper and lower courses of travel.

A particular preferred form of construcltion,-combination and association of parts and features, as shown in the drawings, is as follows :-.The .base cl may consist of an annular' concrete wall 6 provided at one side with a horizontal sleeve 7 within which the extending inwardly of the base to a point substantially -centrally thereof. superposed upon the base .wall 6 is an annular angle iron 8 which is tied to the base wall6by tie rods9' located at suitably spaced points. At- 'properly spaced pointsa plurality of channeled rollers resting upon the horizontal'port'on of the 9 a'rejourna'led in blocks 10 angle iron 8 andalso in the vert-i al'portion thereof. 1 An annular ll-iron ll rests upon l the channeled rollers 9-, being turnably mounted thereon and acting as a turntable for the'fram'e' E. -Ea'sh of the blocks 10 carries a guide roller 12 which bears against the" vertical portion of the annular T iron,

which vertical portion rests uponthe-rollers. 9. Above'each of the rollers -,9 a supplemental guidefroller l3 bears upon the top of :the horizontal portion of the T-iron l1; each roller 13 bein carriedbyabracket 14 id-- as at '16, with an arin l5 bolted to the vertical portion of the angle iron 8.. The'angle iron 8, the T-i-ron l1, and

the rollers 9, 12 andl3, constitute jointly a V turntable base for the' frah1e or tower E which latter;comp,rises a plurality. of up-.

right members, preferably structural jnetal shapes, 17,; the-.lower ends of which are bolted or riveted to the annular T-iron. 11,

and'the upper e'nds' of which support two 'spaced pairs of'chan'nel' irons .18, 18, and 19, respectively "accommodate- 19. which pairs the two courses of'travel of the-carrier B.

; each pair of. said channel irons being ar- .Brac'e'framemembers 20 extend-from the ranged in a horizontal plane and spaced apart, the lane of the channel irons 18 be-.

ing above t at of the channel irons 19. The upright frame members 17 support the said pairs of channel irons 18 and 19 intermediat-ely of their end portions, which latter range in projection laterally of thetop portion of the tower E; Each channel iron 19 and its suporposedchannel iron 18 is connected by cross braces 21 which maintain rigidity of structural formation; and one outer end portion of each of the channel irons 19 and of its spaced channel 'iron 18 are connected by a cross head 22 within both of which -cross heads is journal ed a shaft- 23 upon which are mounted opposed sprocket wheels 24. T he other ends of both pairs of channel irons 18 and 19 are connected by cross heads within ways 26 formed in which are slidably mounted bearings 27 within which latter is journaled a shaft 28 carrying opposed sprocket wheels 29. The sprocket wheel 24 and the sprocket wheel 29 are therefore 10- cated adjacent to each pair of channel irons 18 and 19, and immediately inward thereof, the channel formations of both channel irons 18 and 19 being directed toward each other. Mounted upon or trained over each pair of sprocket wheels '24 and 29, is a i with spaced knuckles 33 which em race, 'in

sprocket chain or link belt 30; the upper course of-each link belt is substantially in the same plane as the respective or adjacent channel iron 18 and the lower course of each link belt is substantially in the same .plane as the respective or adjacent channel iron 19. A screw belt tightener 31 is applied to' each of-the 'bearmgs 27, whereby the link belts 30 may be separately acted 46 upon to sla'cken or tauten the same.

Each of the vanes or sails A may consist of a'closed sheet metal frame32 of proper dimensions so as to be capable of accommodation in its movement with the carrier B, at its inner end portion between the members of the housings consisting of pairs of spaced channel irons'18 and 19. The inner end portion of each framev32 isrovided each instance, a separate cross rod 34 which is connected with both link belts 30.

c designates operative connections between each vane or sail and both link belts and the housings 18, 18 and 19, 19; such operative connections including the cross rod 34 and two triangular end plates'35 carried atthe opposite ends of the cross rod and each carrying an upper guide roller 36 and two spaced lower guide rollers 37 arranged to engage respectively with the op posed flanges of the channel irons 18 and 19', alternately Each of the plates 35 is also provided with a lateral guide roller 38 which is arranged to engage with the web of the respective channel irons 18 or-19. Each end portion of each cross rod 34 is 4 evaoos provided with a depending cheek 39 which ,is pivotally connected with one of the opposed link belts 30, as at 40; said points of pivotal connection at 40 being staggered transversely of the carrier B whereby each cross rod 34 ranges obliquely transversely of the carrier,- as clearly-shown in Fig, 3.

Each of the connection means a consists of a flexible chain or cable 41 which is connected at one end with one of the gross rods 34, by an eye 42 thereon, and is connected "at the other end with the nextadjacent vane frame 32 substantially centrally thereof, as-

at Eachof theconnection means 6 comprises a similar flexible chain or cable 44 which is connected at one end with one of the cross rods-34 at the end thereof opposite that which is provided with the eye 42, by an eye 45, and is connected at the other end, as at 46, substantially centrally of the frame 32 land at the side thereof opposite to that with which one of the chains 41 is connected. Each chain'44 1s broken intermedlate of its ends and a spring 47 is incorporated therein.

The oblique range of the cross rods 34 transversely of the carrier B is such that the carrier and vanes will move in the directions indicatedby. the arrows in Figs. 1 and 3,

the wind playing in the direction indicated by the arrow X adjacent to Fig. 3; and the chains 41 are connected with the rearward sides of the vanes, and the chains 44 with the forward sides of the vanes, with relation to the direction of travel of the vanes and the carrier, 9

F designates a wind-finder or holding vane for the rotating tower E and the carrier and vanes A mounted thereon; and said holding vane may comprise a closed sheet metal'frame 48 depending from an arm'49 which is pivotally supported, as at 50 upon a bracket 51 fixed to one of the channel irons 18. The bracket 51 may be duplicated upon the respective lower channel ron 19,

if desired, and a duplicate pivotal connection 50 and .arm' 49 provided inieonnection therewith, although this duplication is not shown in the drawings. The arm 49 is provided inwardly of the pivotal point'50 with a head '52 which coacts with a stop 53 upon the bracket 51, when the frame 48 is in rectangular projection from the channel irons 18 and 19 and laterally thereof, having when in such position of projection to shaft 57 suitably journaled between the pairs of channel irons 18, 19 and 18, 19 and provided with spaced sprocket wheels 58 which respectively mesh with the link belts 30 in both the upper and lower courses thereof. At one end the shaft 57 is provided with a beveled gear 59 which meshes with a corresponding beveled gear 60 at the upper end of avertical shaft 61 suitably journaled at its upper end in connection with one of the channel irons 19, and journaled at its lower end in a bracket 62 supported upon the annular T-i'ron 11. The lower end of the shaft 61 is provided with a beveled gear 63 which meshes with a corresponding beveled gear 6 1 fixed to a transverse shaft 65 journaled in the bracket 62 and in a box 66 mounted u on the T-iron it at a point opposite the racket 62. A spider 67 extends across and within the annular angle iron 8; and centrally thereof a beveled gear 67 is mounted upon a short vertical shaft 6S,'meshing with a beveled gear (39 fixed to the transverse shaft 65 intermediate of the ends thereof; Theother end of the short shaft 68 carries a beveled gear '70 which meshes with a beveled gear 71 upon one end of the power shaft C.

The operation, method ofuse and advantages of the improvements in air motors or windnnlls constituting the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing de-- scription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the following The power transmission D and the vanes and the carrier being all mounted upon the l'OWcl' E which is provided with a turntable base consisting of the roller supported annular T-iron 11; all of said parts and features are free to turn and veer as required by varying directions of motion ofthe wind. As each vane A reaches the end of the upper course of travel of the carrier, itswings outwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, and takes up a depending position for its movement in connection with the lower course of thecarrier, the vanes bem alternately presented to the wind in uprig t and depending positions. The springs e7 inlthe chains. or cables 44 constituting the connection means I), being in advance of their respective vanes, take the turns between the upper and lower courses of the carrier in advance of the vanes, which tends to lengthen said connection means. This-tendency is" permitted by the springs 47. ,The chains 41 constituting the .connection means -a effectively brace the vanes A, and impart the strain of the wind pressure to the carrier in the same The entire windmill is designed to utilize air currents with high efliciency of power output at the power shaft G; and the organization and construction of the same is conducive to long life of the working parts which latter may be adjusted' or removed for repair or replacement with facility.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the specific provision, construction, combination and relative arrangement of parts, members and features shown and described as embodying the invention; but reserve the right to vary the same in adapting the improvements to varying conditions of use, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the terms of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In' mechanism of the character described, a carrier, a plurality of vanes loosely mounted uponthe carrier, and operative connections between the carrier and each of the vanes; each of said operative connections comprising a flexible connection and a spring 2. In mechanism of the character described, a carrier, avane loosely mounted upon the carrier, and a plurality-of operative connections between the vane and the carrier; one of said operative connect-ions being yielding and the other having a yielding portion.

3. In improvements of the character described, abase, an annular angle iron mounted upon the base, a plurality of channeled rollers mounted upon the angle iron, an an nular T-iron turnably mounted upon the rollers, and a windmill tower mounted upon the T-iron.-

4. In improvements of the character descrilgd, a base, an annular angle iron" mounte d' upon the base, channeled rollers mounted upon the angle iron, an annular T-iron movably mounted upon the Jrollers, guide rollers" respectively bearing upon the T-iron at the side and the top. thereof, and a windmill frame mounted 'npon the T-irlon.

- In testimony whereof, -I have signed my name to this specification in the presence FRED A. M'ANSFIELD, B. FLETCHER. 

